This was a terrible idea, wasn't it?

Orion had signed up on a whim while scrolling through his phone, definitely a little tipsy at the time. He was working on his confidence, slowly but surely, and the alcohol had removed just enough of his inhibitions to make him forget how much of a coward he was when it came to dating.

He could have backed out. Should have, honestly. But he hadn't.

He cleans up nice, at least. Suit and tie, styled hair, the works. He almost looks normal as he approaches the table to which he'd been directed to. His Absol pads quietly at his side, head turning occasionally to investigate some sound or another.

Concern flashes across the councilman's face when his — his date, yikes — looks as if he might choke. Orion's normally composed expression betrays his thought process like a work of art: alarm, concern, amusement, and then... strangely, something that could definitely be taken as relief.

This guy seems just as fumbling and awkward as he was. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

He sits down, offering a nervous smile and a chuckle that sticks in his throat. "Uh, not sure on the specifics, but it's speed dating so it's supposed to be pretty quick, yeah?" God, that put a lot of pressure on them to like... talk about things, didn't it? "But yeah, apparently I am. Name's Orion Lykos. It's ah, nice to meet you, ah...?"

Had they given him a name? He can't remember. Shit.

[attr="class","merrkpokesI"]

[attr="class","merrktagI"]Orion Lykos

Orion ducks his head sheepishly when he's almost immediately recognized by the other man. He's going to have to get used to that, isn't he? His reputation precedes him more oft than not as of late.

"Yeah, that's me," he confirms, grimacing a little at the memory of the Slateport attack. Not his favourite subject in the world, but he understood why it was a hot topic of conversation. "Most of the Council were there, actually. I think only Councilman Cole was absent."

Dahlia had been... well, she'd been there, if not fighting on the same side as the others. Orion leaves that part out.

Orion does manage a laugh at the jest, appreciating the humour.

"Were you there, too?" he wonders, perhaps seeking the understanding of someone who'd suffered the same. "During the attack?"

Of course, Kazimir's next statement sees the councilman's cheeks flush red: was he being propositioned? This was speed-dating after all. Perhaps Kazimir was simply offering a friendly outing to help distract from the horrors of that night. (Orion had signed up for friendship and romance in equal measure, after all, and he hadn't exactly been told which would be which.)

It's even more alarming to realise that he doesn't mind either way. His smile is shy.

"What did you have in mind?"

[attr="class","merrkpokesI"]

[attr="class","merrktagI"]Orion Lykos

"I'm glad to hear that." Orion's tone is soft, the words genuine. People had lost their lives, sustained serious injuries, lost their beloved Pokemon... it wasn't something he'd wish on a worst enemy. "You asked how I was doing," he remembers. "It's been rough. Not something you can just put out of mind, you know? But I'm alive, and that's better than others." His thoughts drift to Mateo. The League's official statements suggested that the Elite had lost his life, and Orion's more inclined to agree with each passing day. If they'd lost so much to only two of the Ultra beasts... "And... thank you. For the concern."

Lavaridge's hot springs are suggested, and his face is certainly warm enough already.

"I've never actually been," he confesses, with a light laugh. He's lived in Hoenn his entire life, but the public location had always dissuaded him from going. With someone else, though, with an invitation... "It sounds nice. I think — yeah, I think that would be nice."

He pulls out the notepad that he's always got on his person for ranger duties and quickly jots down his number, sliding it across the table.

"So you don't have to call my office to get a hold of me," he explains, chuckling at the thought. How awkward would that be for the both of them?

[attr="class","merrkpokesI"]

[attr="class","merrktagI"]Orion Lykos

For all that it was in the name, speed-dating really lived up to expectations. The bell rings, and Orion's quick to accept the number that's slid across to him with a smile.

Kazimir offers his hand, and the councilman shakes it: not with the brusque, firm hand of a politician, but with the gentler touch of someone whose interest was not strictly in business.

"It was nice meeting you, too," he says, still smiling. His stomach flutters like a trapped bird, but it's not the most unpleasant feeling. "I'll keep in touch."